The invention provides a transport device for sleeve-shaped covers for cylinders in printing units of a printing press, the device including a translation element and a number of carrier elements that carry sleeve-shaped covers and are received on the translation element. In addition, the invention provides a method of changing sleeve-shaped covers for cylinders in printing units of a printing press by using a number of carrier elements that carry sleeve-shaped covers and are received on a translation element.
In a printing press, the circumferential length of the printing master cylinder is a factor that inherently limits the format or print length of products to be produced. To provide flexibility and versatility, it is desirable to overcome this limitation to permit variable print lengths or formats. General geometric laws hold that the circumferential length of a cylinder—in this case the printing master cylinder—is a function of the cylinder's radius. To provide a variable circumferential length for a printing press cylinder that has a fixed radius and can carry a printing master, sleeve-shaped covers of varying thickness can advantageously be mounted to the cylinder. Once the cover is mounted, the cylinder has an increased radius and the potential or maximum print length that can be achieved is greater or longer than without the cover. It has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,346, for example, to mount sleeve-shaped covers to printing unit cylinders, in particular printing master cylinders and transfer cylinders, in a printing press. Plate-shaped printing masters can be attached to sleeve-shaped covers.
To avoid as much manual labor as possible, DE 298 22 104 U1 discloses, for example, the use of a transport device for a printing press. The transport device includes a carrier frame that passes at least over regions of the printing press and at least one laterally movable lifting device for printing plates, rollers, or other parts or accessory of the printing press.